New 8.5 x 18 Ft V-nose Conversion - Sooo much fun!

[flboy]

Well, don't have the new trailer yet.... still about two more weeks before I pick it up; however, I have been busy planning. Following are a few more items I got from the donor trailer this weekend. This is the last of the material from the donor trailer. I already have all the windows and appliances which I posted in mass previously. The remainder is for a bonfire and the scrap metal yard. :-)

I am in the process of going through everything I am going to reuse and refurbishing it. It will all look new and work like new as I finish.

I also bought a flux core Welder from Harbor Freight. I will have some welding to do when I cut out for the windows and make mounting hardware for lift bed and the holding tanks.

This is what I got this weekend. I am so grateful to have it. All this material I salvaged this weekend and previously is going to save me hundreds if not thousands. If you price all this stuff new, it is expensive. Even used, folks want a lot. I got it for my labor of removing the trailer from it's locations and disposing of it. I completed the task this weekend.


I am not sure I will use the ladder, but I may install if I end up putting some hardware on the solar panels for tilting. Probably won't do that right away.



You'd be surprised how expensive wire is these days. I stripped what I could from the older camper. Will have a lot of wiring and this will save some money to reuse.



Not sure which of these exterior access doors I will actually use. They will need to be cleaned up and I will panel them with Diamond plate since that is the area on the trailer they wil most likely be mounted,



I was able to salvage the Grey and Black water tanks. They are in great shape and the blackwater tank was never really used. I'll need to put new sensors on them and relocate the toilet connection on the blackwater tank, but this will save me a few hundred dollars. Holding tanks are pricey.


One of the exterior access doors previously shown goes with this propane tank enclosure. I am thinking about putting the tank inside this and mount underneath an interior cabinet with exterior access. I need to keep the trailer tongue free for the generator box. I am still not 100% sure on how I want to do this... but certainly gives me some options. Unless the propane is mounted outside, it has to be in a sealed box and vented outside for safety reasons. BTW, I got the gas bottle from the camper that lays on its side. It is special for that purpose and had a\l the gauges and etc. I may post a pic of that latter. :-)

[pchast]

Great salvage!

[flboy]

Great salvage!

Thanks. A donor trailer is a great way to get the build started and save some money without compromising on the quality/function. My goal is to have this thing look like a quality factory built rig when I am done for under $10,000. The base cargo trailer custom built with a lot of exterior upgrades is eating up about $6,100 of that. I think my major "big ticket" expenses beyond what I already have from the salvage will be the solar/electrical system to include the batteries and the Roll Down Awning. Typically the vertical lift bed would be about $1,500, but I have an idea to fabricate one with 1" tube steel and some "e channel" and struts. I bought a 90Amp flux core welder from Harbor Freight with a super saver coupon for $99.00. I am teaching myself how to weld with some youtube videos and practicing on scrap. I am looking forward to the actual fabrication.

[flboy]

Well, the new Cargo Trailer will be done on Monday and I'll drive to Georgia to pick it up next Saturday. Many pics to come next week. I have been busy ordering things ot start the build. So far I have ordered sensors and tank level indicator panel and misc parts to refurb the Hot water heater and a thermostat for the furnace.

I also ordered 4 100W Monocrystaline Renology Solar Panels. I will order the Inverter and batteries when I am ready to install. I bought the panels now, because they are a great deal on Amazon right now. Turns out to be about $1.20 a watt, which is decent for the Monocrystaline type panels. I have 2 100W Renology panels on my existing CTC and they work great so I stuck with that brand.

I am going to start with 400W of panels, 2 6V Deep Cycle Golf Card Batteries and a 1500W Pure sine inverter to run the house and then use the Honda 2KW generator when I need to run the A/C or top off batteries if it is not sunny or etc.. The Hot water, stove and Furnace will all be gas of course.

Following are a few picks of the before on the Hot Water tank. I'll show you the refurb job when I am done. Right now it is all apart on my work bench. I need to clean it real well , paint, clean electrical connections and add dielectric grease to all contacts, and rebuild the insulation box that was all chewed up by some rodents. I also bought a new burner for $15.00 on Ebay since this one looks a little spent.

I need to the tanks and all the appliances that will require cutting the sides of the CT open ready for install. I will be removing the floor of th CT to well cradles for the holding tanks and them drop them in bfrom the top. The Hot water tank, furnace, water/electrical hookup and storage doors will be installed first after windows and insulation so I can build the cabinets and etc. around them.

[flboy]

Here are the "after" shots of the waterheater. I cleaned it all up, neutralized any rust and painted with High temp paint. I painted the exhaust high temp black paint and put in some additional metal where part of the heat shield had deteriorated. In addition to the new burner, I order new thermostat kit for $9.00 on Ebay and still need to install those. The contacts broke off the old ones when I went to remove the wires. All said with paint and parts, I'll have $28.00 in the Water heater refurb. It looks new. It should work well, but I'll test it before installing. I still have to make a foam cover/insulator. I will use some 1 inch Styrofoam, tape it up to hold in place and then fill with expanding foam which will hold it all together when cured. It will be way better insulated that original. That insulation was in bad shape and really smelled bad. Roaches and rodents appears to have made home in there.

I am working on the Oven hood/blower and the furnace next. I''ll share a few after photos when done. Got to get all these items in shape as they will be first to go in. Picking up the new CT in 6 days. Yay!

[flboy]

Had a delivery while I was at work by Amazon. I received the 4 100W Solar Panels today. I have them stacked in the living room until they are installed. I think one of the funnest things of a build is buying all the parts and having something new arrive each day. There is something about getting packages in the mail you just got to love.

[Wolfscout]

Solar power is something I want to add later on mine. Not sure how much room I'll have on that 20' after I put my redneck deck on top for rocking and smoking my pipe while the sun sets.

[flboy]

Solar power is something I want to add later on mine. Not sure how much room I'll have on that 20' after I put my redneck deck on top for rocking and smoking my pipe while the sun sets.

Larry, look at the top of this page on the items I salvaged. One of the items is a ladder. It is very nice and only stands off a few inches from the place it is mounted. It is a permanent mount however and if your trailer is already 8" wide, maybe not good. ? My trailer is only 7' wide so I can mount behind the tandem wheels in the back and it would not stick out past the fenders that are at 8'. I Have a Cargo carrier (clamshell) that was on the other RV and I could put it on top in the rear and lock it up with Chairs, Grill and etc. and then get to it via the ladder... Just not sure if I want to do that yet given I have the bed of my pickup also with a locking hard top cover.

If I don't end up using this (will decide in the next few weeks), you are welcome to it. The "redneck deck" sounds like a neat idea. I think my roof will be too full of solar panels and etc. for a deck, but I am going to put a screen at the rear ramp door and the ramp will go down as a deck for nice days when I want to open up the camper. I'm also planning to have a 15' side awning to sit under as well.

[Wolfscout]

When I see what I have to work with... the dealer didn't have a 20 footer when I ordered mine, I might would like to get that ladder from you.
I've looked at several ways I might get up there including a permanent ladder from the tongue up.
Yes, I was thinking on putting my solar panels on the front half because midway is where my electrical center will be, dependent on the axles and .
fenders some.

[flboy]

The factory sent me some pictures today. It is all done. I leave in the morning to drive to Douglas Georgia to pick it up. I'll send some better pics with the tow vehicle when I get there.



Looking forward to starting the build. I think I will start a build journal and point this thread at it.

[flboy]

Since I have the CT now and going to start the build, I created a new thread in the Build Journal area. You can follow the build there.


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